Thursday, February 16, 2012

Will and Testament


Will and Testament

They’ll need to know this much – the two strong sons –
to know what, beside their flesh and progeny, I leave.
The jack pines I planted, I’ll tell them,
over a half-century old, those that survived
the first summer. It was dry.
But they’re sold with the ground
that holds your grandparents’ ash, I’ll tell them.
There are the boats I built, I’ll tell them,
the green-painted boats. But those are sold too,
I’ll tell them, with the sunlight on the bay.
And the houses, I’ll say, drawn and built
by these hands. And yours, I’ll proudly add.
Sold now, but think of the times we had.
The roof-beams and hell we raised.
And the poems, I’ll say, here are the poems.
Couldn’t sell those, I’ll tell them truthfully,
or give them away. Here – I’ve books of them, Boys.
Thin books, it’s true, with few words,
but they’re like new. Here are the poems.

~ Ralph Murre

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you ask me, those 2 sons came out ahead in the deal. Nice work. -Carolyn

Michael Koehler said...

Ralph, very good poem, bud.

Sarah B. said...

I love this. Thank you, Ralph.

Sarah G said...

A valuable inheritance, and a beautiful poem.

Anonymous said...

sometimes it has to be said ...
all of it =
sometime is all we have
thanks ralph
who better than you!!

Angela Consolo Mankiewicz said...

Oh, I like this - very much.